


Don't Forget

by Indigoblau



Series: Fragments of a Caleidoscope [3]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: A day in the life of depressed JJ, Depression, I'm sorry JJ, Mental Health Issues, Slice of Life, vent fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 04:16:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13450350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indigoblau/pseuds/Indigoblau
Summary: Sometimes, he almost forgets the demon in his mind.Almost.





	Don't Forget

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically a sequel to my story "When JJ hit rock bottom" but.. this story doesn't exist yet, soooo.. yeah. But the story is understanable on it's own.  
> All you have to know is: "After a mental breakdown and attempted suicide, JJ is slowly but steady getting on his feet again."  
> Take care <3

It was one of those days.  
JJ woke up late, or rather, got up late after lying in bed for a solid 30 minutes longer as he was supposed to. He shivered as he went to the bad and hurriedly did his morning routine.  
He skipped breakfast - no time to lose - and managed to leave his apartment only 15 minutes after he usually did.  
It rained and soon JJ was soaked, but it was okay since he'd change in his training gears soon anyway and while he'd be on the ice his clothes will have enough time to dry.  
JJ didn't like to be late, he didn't want to disappoint his coach and lose precious time this close before his next tournament.  
Of course, the signal on the cross road turned red shortly before JJ arrived. Shifting nervously from one foot to the other he begged the light to turn green already.

It was then when he first saw him.  
He stood on the opposite side of the road, obviously waiting for the green light as well. He was dressed in black and wore a big hat and JJ couldn't make out his face.  
Through the rain the man seemed blurry. But he unmistakably waved at JJ.  
The skater looked behind him, maybe there was someone else standing there? But there wasn't.  
JJ tried to make out anything looking familiar at the man but couldn't find anything. Probably he was just mistaking him for someone else,   
or he wasn't even waving and the rain made it just look like he did.

Finally, the light turned green and JJ rushed to the other side, not looking back to the strange man again. He made it to the rink almost in time and fortunately,   
his coach wasn't mad, she seemed to be in a really great mood, actually.  
This was good and bad.  
It was good because JJ wouldn't get to hear what a slacker he is, but it was bad because she'd show him no mercy throughout the training. Not that JJ minded, after all,   
he loved figure skating way too much, but he still inwardly cringed at the thought as he changed his clothes.  
Despite the unlucky start in this morning, JJs training went well, at least until lunch break.  
He skated his new program over and over again, worked on his jumps and steps and tried to get everything of his skating in sync with the Music.  
It was a classical piece from Rachmaninov, "Love's Joy". It stood in contrast with the music he'd chosen for his free program Rachmaninov’s "Love's Sorrow".   
He wanted to show the different sides of love, the different stages, the joy and euphoria but the pain and suffering as well.  
He wanted to cry out all of the emotions from these past few months to finally leave them behind.  
Every time he practised his program he was stunned by how easy it had become, since he didn't skated anymore to win but to show how he felt and loved.  
And even though his new coach really wouldn't let him slack of, she was still kind and gave him the possibility to work in sync with himself.   
While she pushed him to his limits on good days, she'd let him just be one with the ice and the music on bad days. Knowing he didn't had to just bring results anymore made life so much easier for the young Canadian.  
As his coach called him to go and have lunch, JJ's mood was a slight bit better, but he was exhausted and hungry and his feet were thankful for the break. It was somewhat more tiring today.  
At lunch he chatted with his coach about a change he wanted to make in his program and about a series they both were watching.   
It was quite nice and JJ felt himself relax a bit more. Maybe the day really wasn't that bad as he'd first thought.   
As he returned to the rink he whistled the melody of his program music, the strange man from this morning long forgotten.

It wasn't until two hours into his afternoon training that JJ finally remembered the man in black.  
He'd just gotten up from landing a jump incorrectly and falling when he saw him again.  
There he stood, the man still dressed in black, hat drawn to his face, on the entrance to the ice field, just a few metres away from his coach who continued to giving advice to JJ,   
not looking even once at the man beside her. Why would she? It wasn’t that out of ordinary to see some other people on the rink. Maybe he was a fan? Great and he had seen that lousy jump of his.  
This time, it was JJ who waved at the man, smiling, but he didn't wave back. He just stood there, clearly looking at JJ. He wasn't here to spy for another skater, was he?   
Then again, what the hell would he be spying for? JJ wasn't that much of a threat; he was just getting on his feet again in the world of figure skating after his long, unplanned break.  
"What are you waving at? C'mere, I recorded your jump, let's watch it!", his coach called out to him and waved her hand impatiently in his direction. JJ looked at her and nodded.  
They watched the recording and his coach gave him advice on how he could land better and JJ tried his best to remember all of it. It wasn't like he'd forgotten all of skating because of his hiatus,   
but he knew he'd to learn many things in a new way, how to cope with unsatisfying results both in training and at tournaments, how to bundle his strength and how to life in a way that wouldn't end at rock bottom again.  
JJ did his best to ignore the man still standing there and watching him and just tried to go on with his training. 

As his coach told him to call it a day, the man was once again disappeared.  
JJ didn't knew for how long he was gone now, but he took it as positive that he was able to concentrate enough on his skating to not realize the man’s doing.  
Luckily, his clothes had dried through the day and it wasn't raining anymore, and JJ left in a rather high spirit, planning to jog back to his apartment to cool down slowly.  
It had been a good day, he'd achieved a lot and was really satisfied with himself, the fact that he was feeling a bit out of step aside. Overall, but there was that little nagging feeling that he forgot something.   
And it had something to do with the strange man he'd met.  
In an attempt to shake the slight uneasy feeling JJ decide to take the way back leading through the city’s park. He liked it there, it was so peaceful and the season gifted the beets with flowers in bright and happy colours.  
At first it really seemed like it worked. JJ followed the small ways between the flowers and bushes and thought about what to make for dinner. Since it had been a good day, he felt like cooking something.  
Lost in his thoughts about it, he nearly missed how someone stepped in his way and JJ almost knocked them over, weren't it for his well-trained reflexes.   
"Excuse me, I didn't..", he began, but his voice died instantly as he saw who stood before him.  
It was the man in black.  
JJ wasn't a really superstitious person, but seriously, this was getting creepy.  
"Uhm.. I don't want to be rude, but.. I feel like you followed me today. Is there a reason?"  
The man didn't answer; face still hidden behind his hat and a black woollen scarf, way too hot regarding the weather.   
JJ tried to take in as much as possible, looking for even the smallest of hint to who his man was, but again he couldn't make out anything besides black and a heavy feeling in his chest.  
Not sure if he should ask again or just go home, JJ did a few steps back. As he finally decided that this was getting ridiculous and he'd head home, the man lifted an arm,   
hand hidden behind a black leather like glove, pointing to one of the flowers lining the way.  
JJ looked at them a bit troubled, not sure what this meant. The flowers aside, there was nothing more to see, expect for the sign,   
telling the flower were named "Little Jean" and that in flower language they stood for "Don't Forget". Ready to ask what this meant, JJ looked back to the man, but he was gone.   
The skater hadn't looked away for longer than a minute, yet he hadn't heard the man leave nor had he seen where he'd go.  
Shaking his head and trying to sort out his thoughts, the young Canadian went back to his apartment, wondering what this all was about.

After cooking dinner and relaxing a bit, JJ took his phone and called Isabella, he wanted to hear about her day and tell her about his.  
He wanted to speak about the strange man following him, but something held him back. JJ couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he had this Feeling that he'd soon know what all of this meant.  
And his feeling didn't betray him.

After talking to his fiancé for a while, he said his goodbyes and started getting ready for bed early. He felt tired and drained. But as he tried to get up and go to his room, he realized that he couldn't.  
It was as if he suddenly lacked the energy to get up, to even breathe. Like a tsunami, all of the impressions from the last few days flooded him and left him sore and aching, throat tight and head hurting.  
And there he was again, the man from the cross road, from the training and from their strange encounter in the park, there he stood right in front of JJ who was still sitting on his couch like he was glued to it,   
and finally the skater understood what all of this meant.   
He knew the man.  
He knew him damn well and he'd been an oblivious idiot to forget about him.  
After all, he wouldn't be forgotten; he'd make sure of it.  
Make sure to always remember him who he was and why he was here.  
JJ knew him.  
The man’s name was Depression.

And for a long time, JJ said on the couch and cried.


End file.
